Kate Middleton 'mortified' by Tim Henman's Wimbledon encounter with her dad
Sue Barker's illustrious broadcasting career with the BBC placed her at the heart of all the action for almost three decades. The former French Open champion's iconic role gave her the opportunity to interview a host of big names, from sports stars to members of the royal family.
During her work on the 2017 BBC One documentary 'Our Wimbledon', Barker travelled around the world to discover what makes the All England Club grass so special for tennis lovers.
That journey resulted in interviews with the Duke of Kent and Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, who is a known tennis fan and is often spotted in the SW19 stands with her family.
In the latter interview, Princess Kate shared an embarrassing incident from years ago, before she had married Prince William.
She revealed how her father, Michael Middleton, once approached British tennis icon Tim Henman, confusing him with 14-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras.
Barker recounted the tale in her 2024 book, ' Wimbledon: A Personal History ', which provides her perspective on the major tournament, from her days as a junior competitor to her retirement from broadcasting over half a century later in 2022.
The 69-year-old wrote: 'During the filming of my Our Wimbledon documentary, I interviewed both the Duke of Kent and Catherine, now Princess of Wales.
'Catherine was so lovely to talk to too. I waited in a room in Kensington Palace with producer Carl Doran and the camera crew.
'We were all a bit on edge and then in she came and put us all at ease, even saying she was a bit nervous as she hadn't given many interviews. (I'm sure she said that to make me feel better.)
'She was a natural in front of the camera and what came across in the interview was her obvious love for the game from an early age.
'Tennis is a family passion and the Middletons came to queue and watch Wimbledon most years. She told me how mortified she was when her father once mistook Tim Henman for Pete Sampras.
''My father is not going to appreciate this, but we were walking past Tim Henman and we had just seen Sampras play. And dad said very coolly, 'Hi Pete.' I was mortified!''
Since that embarrassing encounter, Princess Kate has had plenty of opportunities to meet Henman and rectify her father's past mishap.
As a regular attendee of high-profile matches, she is often seen sitting in the Royal Box. The Princess also presents the tournament's finalists with their trophies, the most recent recipient being men's singles champion Carlos Alcaraz in 2024.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
4 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
BBC will no longer live stream ‘high risk' music acts after Bob Vylan incident
In a statement issued on Thursday the corporation apologised for the group's 'deplorable behaviour' after frontman, Bobby Vylan, whose real name is reportedly Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, led crowds in chants of 'death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)' during their set on Saturday afternoon. The BBC admitted it had assessed the act as 'high risk' before Glastonbury but deemed them suitable for live streaming. The broadcaster said this was 'clearly not the case', adding it was changing its procedures around live music events meaning any music performances deemed high risk will now not be broadcast live or streamed live. Bob Vylan were deemed a 'high risk' act before Glastonbury, the BBC said (Ben Birchall/PA) The statement said: 'We deeply regret that such offensive and deplorable behaviour appeared on the BBC and want to apologise to our viewers and listeners and in particular the Jewish community. We are also unequivocal that there can be no place for antisemitism at, or on, the BBC. 'It is clear that errors were made both in the lead-up to and during Bob Vylan's appearance. We think it's important to set out some of the detail around the streaming of this performance. 'Bob Vylan were deemed high risk following a risk assessment process applied to all acts appearing at Glastonbury. Seven acts including Bob Vylan were included in this category and they were all deemed suitable for live streaming with appropriate mitigations. 'Prior to Glastonbury, a decision was taken that compliance risks could be mitigated in real time on the live stream – through the use of language or content warnings – without the need for a delay. This was clearly not the case.' It added: 'Given the failings that have been acknowledged we are taking actions to ensure proper accountability for those found to be responsible for those failings in the live broadcast. We will not comment further on those processes at this time. 'Furthermore, as a result we will make immediate changes to live streaming music events. 'Any music performances deemed high risk will now not be broadcast live or streamed live.' The BBC has also promised to take action to 'ensure proper accountability' and issued an apology to viewers, especially the Jewish community. BBC director-general Tim Davie has also issued a personal apology, asking people to treat each other with 'respect and kindness'. The group came under fire for chants during their performance on the West Holts Stage (Yui Mok/PA) He said: 'I deeply regret that such offensive and deplorable behaviour appeared on the BBC and want to say sorry – to our audience and to all of you, but in particular to Jewish colleagues and the Jewish community. 'We are unequivocal that there can be no place for antisemitism at the BBC. I and everyone need to ensure that the BBC is a role model for inclusivity and tolerance and we all have a part to play. We are utterly committed to creating an environment where everyone is supported and can do their very best work. 'Please continue to treat each other with respect and kindness.' Since the performance, Avon and Somerset Police have launched an investigation into the comments made during the group's West Holts Stage set. It has emerged that the group were already under investigation by police for comments made at a concert one month before Glastonbury. Video footage appears to show Bobby Vylan at Alexandra Palace telling crowds: 'Death to every single IDF soldier out there as an agent of terror for Israel. Death to the IDF.' The rap group issued a statement on Tuesday claiming they were being 'targeted for speaking up' after Avon and Somerset Police began its investigation. The group have also had their US visas revoked, ahead of their tour later this year, were pulled from their Saturday headline slot at Radar festival in Manchester and from an upcoming performance at a German music venue. Bob Vylan are expected to perform at the Boardmasters surfing and music festival in Newquay, Cornwall, in August. The group is known for addressing political issues in their music including racism, masculinity and class.
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Nandy demands ‘accountability at highest levels' after Bob Vylan broadcast
Ministers expect 'accountability at the highest levels' for the BBC's decision to screen Bob Vylan at Glastonbury, the Culture Secretary has said. Lisa Nandy told the Commons she has heard from the BBC but was 'not satisfied with the response'. Punk duo Bob Vylan led chants of 'death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)' during their Worthy Farm set last weekend, and face an investigation by Avon and Somerset Police. London's Metropolitan Police is also investigating the two Bobs – who perform using the aliases Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan – for allegedly making similar comments at Alexandra Palace in May. Conservative shadow culture secretary Stuart Andrew told the Commons: 'Given the BBC are seemingly able to pull live broadcasts when things go wrong at football matches, for example, it's extraordinary that this didn't happen on this occasion. 'Can the Secretary of State update the House on the discussions she's had with the BBC, and why the same thing didn't happen on this occasion? 'What due diligence was carried out by them about the acts that were performing? 'And given as she's said we're still waiting for a response to the previous Hamas documentary, is she satisfied with those conversations she's had and the urgency that the organisation are taking?' Ms Nandy replied: 'No, the answer is that I'm not satisfied with the response that I've had.' The Culture Secretary previously made a ministerial statement in the Commons on Monday, when she said 'it should have been foreseeable that there would be problems with broadcasts'. She told MPs then that she wanted 'rapid action to make sure this cannot happen again'. In Thursday's update, Ms Nandy told MPs: 'I have received a reply to the very many questions that were raised by colleagues on all sides. 'I'm not satisfied with that, and I have gone back to the BBC leadership to ask for further information, in particular, as he mentioned, about the failure to pull the live feed, about the due diligence that was done prior to deciding to screen this act, and also about the level of senior oversight that took place in the BBC during the Glastonbury weekend. 'I think the BBC leadership will hear and have heard the strength of feeling in this House about this, and I expect further answers to be forthcoming imminently.' The corporation removed the documentary Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone from its online iPlayer platform in February after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official. In a follow-up question, Mr Andrew said: 'I'm as disappointed as she is that they haven't been able to come back with even basic facts. 'There were hundreds of BBC staff there and not being able to identify who ultimately had the final decision on whether to broadcast or not is not acceptable, and I think the chairman (Samir Shah) needs to inform her as a matter of urgency who that was and what action they are going to take. 'While I absolutely understand the independence of the BBC, just as artists can't hide behind artistic expression for vile commentary, neither can the BBC hide behind independence for accountability, and I hope she knows she has the full support of this side of the House as she pushes them for clarity.' Ms Nandy said she was 'grateful' that Mr Andrew had made 'the very important distinction between independence and accountability'. She continued: 'Given the seriousness of what happened – and particularly we heard in the House and I was able to bring to the House the absolute shocking stories of the impact that this has had on the Jewish community in this country – given the seriousness of this, I would expect there to be accountability at the highest levels.'
Western Telegraph
7 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Portrait of last Battle of Britain pilot handed over at National Museum
Group Captain Hemingway, originally from Dublin, was the final surviving member of 'The Few', who took to the skies in 1940 to defend the UK against Luftwaffe attacks in what became a pivotal moment of the Second World War. He died in March this year, at the age of 105. His portrait will find a permanent home at the Irish National Gallery. Group Captain John 'Paddy' Hemingway (Brian Lawless/PA) The portrait, unveiled by Mr Hemingway at the British Embassy in Dublin last year marking his 105th birthday, was painted by Welsh artist Dan Llywelyn Hall, 44. He was the last living pilot from the Battle of Britain and would have been 106 on July 17. Mr Llywelyn Hall is known for numerous portraits, such as the Queen, Shane MacGowan, Amy Winehouse and other public figures. Mr Llywelyn Hall said: 'I am pleased for the portrait of the Last of the Few, John Hemingway, to be a legacy for the public in John's native Ireland. 'It's especially meaningful this portrait will live in Dublin as it was John's home and held in great affection. 'This portrait serves as both a record of remarkable life and a testament to the rich personality beyond the uniform.' Brenda Malone, curator of Irish Military History, said: 'We are delighted to accept this generous gift from Dan, and are particularly happy to record John Hemingway's story, through his portrait, with us. 'The National Museum collects and preserves the history of Irishmen and women's experience of military service around the world, especially in times of conflict. 'John's story stands as a representation for the many Irish people who served in the Royal Air Force during WWII. 'His portrait and history will form a valuable part of our collections which we hold in trust for the Irish people.'
